Crank Pulley (Fluidampr) installation

tchuck

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Yo dudes, I installed my Fluidampr crank pulley today and snapped a few pics along the way. I've heard how difficult this can be and considering how much trouble people seem to have with it I thought I'd share my methods for what I would consider a strong 3 on the 10 point difficulty scale.

Tools required

-10mm socket
-12mm box wrench
-19mm socket (1/2" drive min)
-18" long (min) 1/2" drive breaker bar

1) Start by lifting the FX onto jack stands or ramps (I used ramps) and removing the splash pan w/ your 10mm socket. Though it's probably possible to do this without lifting the FX, it is much easier from the bottom.

2) Next you'll want to loosen the crank bolt. this is the 19mm bolt that secures the crank pulley and the one that causes people so many problems, mainly because of the extremely high install torque and the fact that the pulley is difficult to keep it from turning while removing or installing the bolt. It took me 2mins to remove this bolt, here's how:

2a) Apply your 18" breaker bar and 19mm socket to the crank bolt so that the arm of the breaker bar points directly toward the passenger side.

IMG00540-20110530-1318.jpg

2b) Using a piece of string, twine, or anything similar tie the end of the breaker bar up to the bottom side of your passenger side frame rail. This will prevent the breaker bar from slamming into the frame rail with the force of 5 Babe Ruth home run swings during step 2c.

IMG00541-20110530-1318.jpg

2c) CAREFULLY crank the engine with the ignition key as quickly as you can. It is imperative that you DO NOT ALLOW THE ENGINE TO START. Just turn the key enough to cycle the starter and as soon as you hear the engine start to turn over, turn it off and go check the bolt. I did it twice and it was more than sufficient. From that point you can remove the crank bolt with a normal socket wrench or if you're lucky you can use your fingers.

3) Once the crank bolt is removed, you'll want to remove the two accessory belts that engage the crank pulley. There are two tensioners, one for each belt, that function identically. They are here:

IMG00542-20110530-1320.jpg
and here:
IMG00543-20110530-1320.jpg

The tensioners operate on an "adjust and secure" principle in which the belt tension is adjusted with a threaded rod below the pulley and then the adjusted pulley location is secured with a nut on the pulley itself. Ergo you need to loosen the pulley nut before reducing the belt tension via the threaded rod below the pulley. Reduce the belt tension until you can remove the two belts from the crank pulley. If you haven't already assumed, this is a great time to replace your accessory belts if needed. :wink:

4) Remove crank pulley by pulling (with your hands) and wiggling it back and forth. It doesn't slide right off but with some effort and persistence it will come, just be patient. If you have a crank pulley remover, great but I would strongly advise against prying it with anything asymmetrical (like a pry bar or something). I was able to remove mine with my hands but it took quite a bit of wiggling.

Here is the OEM pulley next to my new Fluidampr pulley:

IMG00545-20110530-1330.jpg

5) Install is exactly the reverse of removal. As you can see both the old and new crank pulleys have shear keys so alignment is automatic and fool-proof. I'd recommend anti-seize compound on the crank shaft and a thread locking agent (I use the blue Loc-tite) on any bolt you don't want to wiggle free :wub:.

I don't have the torque specs for the crank pulley or accessory pulleys handy. if someone wants to post them here that would be great otherwise I'll look them up and update this thread later. *updated*

As always, safety is the most important factor in any work done, especially when it's done under the car. I use ramps whenever possible but if you're going to use a jack and stands check and double check their integrity and proper application prior to crawling under the car.

Good luck! :iS::tup:

Torque specs:

Crank pulley bolt
Stage 1 : 39-49 N-m (4.0-5.0 kg-m, 29-36 ft-lb)
Stage 2 : 60-65 degrees clockwise

Alternator nut
73.5 N-m (7.5 kg-m, 54 ft-lb)

Idler pulley lock nut
34.8 N-m (3.5 kg-m, 26 ft-lb)
 

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Last edited:
:tup: Nice write up. I did exactly the same thing when I install the Unorthodox pulley set as you did to knock the crank pulley olt lose. I had my car on ground and put a wood block underneath the end of the breaker bar so it will not dig a hole into my garage floor. I had to admit it is a little scary to have a breaker bar on the crank shaft and try to crank the engine though, but it works the best.

What is the benefit of the Fluidampr pulley? Do you know how much it weight?
 
Thanks guys!

...
What is the benefit of the Fluidampr pulley? Do you know how much it weight?

The short answer to your question is that it prolongs the life of the bottom end of your engine. The long version is HERE.

According to my scale:
Fluidampr - 10.2 lbs
OEM pulley - 6.1 lbs
 
Nice, now I understood the benefit of the dampener to prolong the engine and eliminates vibrations. Yet the increase spinning mass at the tip of the crank shaft would causes you to lost some hp. I guess its all about what you're after with this the crank pulley mod!
 
To help with not starting the engine on accident unplug the coil packs. I've never used the frame rail, always used the ground which seemed a little less dangerous. It's freaky the first time you do it any which way. :)
 
Nice, now I understood the benefit of the dampener to prolong the engine and eliminates vibrations. Yet the increase spinning mass at the tip of the crank shaft would causes you to lost some hp. I guess its all about what you're after with this the crank pulley mod!

Indeed. You can definitely feel the extra weight of the pulley. I'll add my impressions here in a couple days. So far I like it. :tup:

Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab

---------- Post added at 08:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:00 AM ----------

To help with not starting the engine on accident unplug the coil packs. I've never used the frame rail, always used the ground which seemed a little less dangerous. It's freaky the first time you do it any which way. :)

I thought about unplugging the coil packs but I was pretty confident I could turn the key off quickly so I decided against it. You're totally right though that it is a much safer bet.
As for using the ground for the breaker bar, I was up on ramps so my bar wouldn't reach the ground, which is why I even looked for an alternative. The frame rail worked really well though. No slapping, gouging, or scariness at all. I recommend!

Posted from my BlackBerry using BerryBlab
 
For those you have push starts, you can disconnect the fuel pump to prevent the engine from starting..


Nice DIY tchuck.!!
 
So I've had a few days to drive around with the Fluidampr installed and have some impressions. I think the best way to describe it is to categorize the feeling by situation/rpm.

Startup: The initial "VROOoom" upon startup is a bit subdued. The extra weight of the pulley is noticeable here. The idle could be a tad smoother, but I wouldn't put money on it. It's more probably my own confirmation bias.

Takeoff (normal): Hardly noticeable change. If anything it's ever so slightly smoother from 0-2mph, but you probably wouldn't notice unless you were trying to feel a difference.

Takeoff (aggressive): The extra weight of the Fluidampr is most noticeable in this circumstance. Throttle response feels the same, but takeoff is less abrupt than before. It comes on quickly and smoothly like a turbo car with almost no lag. If I had to guess at what it did to the power curve on a dyno graph, I'd say there is less initial torque, but that it quickly comes back to normal by 10mph or so. Again, it could be my imagination but I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of first gear I was making a bit more power than before... :dontknow:

Shifting (normal): No change.

Shifting (aggressive): This is where the benefits start to emerge. Shifting under hard acceleration is noticeably improved. It feels like how people describe the shift kit; surging forward with each gear change. A sort of obvious result of adding weight to the crankshaft...

High speed acceleration: Passing on the freeway is fairly noticeably different. There's no obvious change unless you throttle up enough to downshift. Upon downshifting, the revs climb slightly slower than before (milliseconds) but when the new gear engages it does so with more force than before. Again, it's like the shift kit description but I'm sure not as intense.

Overall: I like it. I researched it quite thoroughly prior to purchasing, and the only downsides I found are related to the effect of added weight on performance. The benefits are entirely preventative, mostly revolving around mitigating crankshaft vibrations and thereby protecting the bearings and seals in the bottom end of the motor. Considering that I have never taken the FX to the track and that I plan to keep it for a long time, the benefits outweighed the costs...for me. That said, the reason I bought it right now was because I wanted an easy mod for the FX that fit into my schedule. :wub:

In summary, I would recommend this mod for those who are more concerned with longevity than 1/4mile times, and for anyone with FI power to spare that wouldn't notice the effects of the added weight. Call it a refinement mod as opposed to a performance mod. :tup:

EDIT: Someone asked me if this was an under-drive model, and I don't know whether or not I stated that it is NOT AN UNDER-DRIVE MODEL.
 
Last edited:
Really nice write-up man I think I'll do it on mine should they become available.

---------- Post added at 01:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:06 PM ----------

Tim, is this an under drive model............?
 
Really nice write-up man I think I'll do it on mine should they become available.

---------- Post added at 01:09 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:06 PM ----------

Tim, is this an under drive model............?

You're funny. This is from the Fluidampr website's FAQ section:

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]I have not seen a damper for my application, could you custom make one?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]
The development of a damper can be costly due to the vast number of engine specifications influencing the characteristics of torsional vibration and the time invovled in preperly fitting and testing a damper/engine combination. However, VibratechTVD is certainly willing to review any new application
[/FONT]
ATI makes a similar product, this is from their site's FAQ section:

Q: I don't see a damper for my application. Can ATI make a custom damper for me?
A: Yes! ATI’s engineers can custom manufacture an ATI Super Damper to fit almost any application. If you'd like us to make a damper for you, contact our sales department and talk with one of our damper techs. In some cases we will need you to supply us with a stock damper for measurement. We have made dampers for all types of engines, from Ferrari & BMW to John Deere and Massey Ferguson.
 
^That's basically it, only our starter motors are WAY stronger than whatever that is. It takes one little blip on the ignition to break ours free.
 
Hi all,
I plan on doing the UR pulley set...can anyone post what the torque specs are for
all the bolts...crank, alternator and idler? Can the crank pulley be torqued enough by hand? Or do you need an impact/air gun??
 
Hi all,
I plan on doing the UR pulley set...can anyone post what the torque specs are for
all the bolts...crank, alternator and idler? Can the crank pulley be torqued enough by hand? Or do you need an impact/air gun??

I just updated the original post with the crank pulley spec. I don't have the FSM anymore so I don't have the specs for the rest of the bolts. Maybe someone else can post them here. I just use loc-tite and tighten them down by hand according to how tight they were when I removed them. They aren't really all that critical...
 
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